


Rumor Has It

by Obtusey



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Romance, first fic please be gentle, light character study?, mild violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-07-22
Updated: 2012-11-24
Packaged: 2017-11-10 12:57:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/466547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Obtusey/pseuds/Obtusey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Word on the street, Sasuke and his hoodlum friends have taken up residence in a carnival town.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

Naruto leaves on a night that is thick with summer air and loud with crickets.

She carries a simple backpack through the village, full of summoning scrolls that contain not only weapons, but clothes and toiletries. Naruto is prepared for an extended stay. The muted but steady crunch of her sandals lulls her into her mind where she runs over the past couple of days.

Naruto recalls the first time she heard the gossip, out of the mouths of a couple nameless jounin.

The first jounin, who had recently returned from a short vacation was in the process of making suggestions to his friend, who was weighing his own options. ” You could go to Kyujitsu,” says the first,” although, while I was there, I heard some funny things.” The second cranes his neck towards the other, urging him to go on.

On a roof close by, fingers reach up to scratch through short blond hair and a whiskered cheek rests in the other hand.

“I heard something about that missing nin from here and his thugs frequenting that place.” That missing nin.

That afternoon, Naruto finds herself outside of Tsunade’s door whining for what seems like an eternity, before Shizune opens it, causing her to fall face-first on Tsunade’s sake-stained carpet. Rising to her feet, Naruto boldly proposes having a month long break. Tsunade snorts and asks her just what, exactly, she plans to do during that time. Travel, Naruto responds and offers no further information. When Tsunade says nothing and goes back to writing, Naruto bites her lip and squeaks out, “To Kyujitsu.” At that, Tsunade throws her pen down and Shizune sucks in a breath. Tsunade stares at her for a long time, saying nothing and Naruto notes how heavy the air is. Just when she thinks she is shit out of luck, Tsunade lets out a clipped “Ok” and picks back up her pen. There is no obvious dismissal, so Naruto looks to Shizune, who returns her uncertain expression and gives her a gesture to leave.

Naruto gets halfway down the hall before Tsunade yells, “If I go a month without hearing from you, Naruto, I’ll send my anbu to come after you.” Naruto feels the swell of anxiety rush through her and takes the nearest window as her exit.

Rapidly approaching steps bring her out of her thoughts and Naruto whips around to see pink and feel pain on the right side of her face. Glancing up, she sees angry green eyes, coupled with a scowl that can only be,” Sakuwaaaaa, all you ever do is injure me. I thought you were a medinin!” Sakura’s eyes narrow as she watches the blond stand back up, brushing dirt of her side. ” You’re just going to go?! What if you run into trouble there? How could you not tell me?!” Naruto considers answering each question individually, but settles on muttering,” I’m sorry Sakura. I should have told you.” She sees the other literally deflate, shoulders shrinking down, but not quickly enough before she blurts out,” But you would’ve flipped out! I mean, whenever I mention being spontaneous-” This comment has the opposite effect, causing red to spread back up to Sakura’s face and into the pink of her hairline. ” Naruto! This isn’t just a matter of spontaneity! For God’s sake you’re gonna be dealing with you-know-who!” It’s just like that and Naruto loses her temper. “You mean Sasuke? Why have you taken to calling him that? You’re starting to get like some of the jounin around here!” Naruto knows this is a low blow, having spent years with Sakura ignoring others’ careless comments. To compare Sakura with them and seeing her face fall makes Naruto regret having ever said it. Sakura opens her mouth and closes it, only to openit again and say, “Here,” there’s a rectangular container in her hands as she brings it forward. “Tsunade told me to give you this. It’s a fairly new communication device.” Naruto takes it but doesn’t open it. Instead she stares at Sakura. She is still in her medical uniform and her hair is pulled back. Tsunade must’ve called for her right after her shift ended. “I shouldn’t have said that. I’m just fucking nervous.”

Sakura heaves a sigh and leans her head back to look at the sky. Possibly keeping tears from falling. “It’s fine. Just…don’t start keeping things from me. It drives me nuts.” Naruto mutter another sorry. “Look, how long have you even thought about this?” When the blonde doesn’t answer, Sakura’s lips thin before she says,” Exactly what I thought.” She looks off to the side and shakes her head. Naruto looks away as well and expects more preaching, but gets arms wrapped around her and hair tickling her face. “Just promise me that you don’t do anything too stupid and obviously dangerous. If things get out of hand, you better try your hardest to let us know.” Naruto brings her own arms around Sakura’s smaller waist. ” Thanks, Sakura. You’re a really great friend.” They are simple words but they are genuine. Sakura pulls back with a congested sniff. ” Whatever, Naruto. Now get the hell out of my sight.” Just like that, she turns around and stiffly walks away.

Naruto grins and thinks that her friend is becoming more like Tsunade, everyday.

She doesn’t particularly have a problem with that.


	2. Out and About

There are a few shinobi stops along the way that she made sure to highlight on her map.

They are places exclusive to shinobi traveling on missions, full of overpriced weapons and canned food, complete with small huts for those too exhausted to go on. These places are also good for judging how long the trip should be.

Naruto slows down from a full sprint to a complete halt under a tree that is split down the middle. After rummaging through her pack, she unfolds her map to refresh her mind. Moving the paper through filtered sunlight, she finds there are only two shinobi stops between Konoha and Kyujitsu. Stuffing the map away, she estimates it’ll be about another four hours at a reasonable pace. Kyujitsu is smack dab in the middle of the most prominent villages. So, only a few ninja come there if they are lucky enough to get leave.

Merchants, priests, and lords go there to hire hitmen.

Naruto can only guess that the only reason Sasuke hasn’t been caught or properly reported must be that he and his ‘team’ participate in questionable business transactions.

She wouldn’t put it past him.

She kicks some dirt out of her shoes and heads on her way.  
-x-  
As the grass becomes thinner and the trees begin to fly by at a less frequent rate, she knows it wont take much longer before the outskirts of Kyujitsu become more recognizable.

She finds that this city isn’t at the bottom of a crater exactly, but more like a valley. It forms a very slight U-shape, instead of a sharp incline the most canyons have. It isn’t dramatically so, but visible from where she stands. There is a breeze that comes from the forest and curls around her fingers, moving forward into the valley below. Her anxiety comes back again, having been absent during her travel.

Naruto wonders just what he’s like now-if he looks any different. It’s been a year now. Since the war. Her throat is tight and her eyes feel hot.

‘Quickly now,’ she thinks, ‘before I turn around and leave.’ She rips up handfuls of grass and counts each blade. Slowly, the heat crawls away from her face, and she can feel the breeze again. Naruto makes slow work of getting back up, bones popping, and secures her backpack. Instead of sprinting, she walks down to the valley.  
-x-  
Unmei Konsutachi is a simple girl.

Shortly before spring term ended, she was in need of a job to buy new dresses to wear on dates with her new boyfriend. Which is why, much to her dismay, she winds up leaning on the back legs of a chair, at the front desk of a swanky hotel. Her dad knows the head of the hotel. They go way back, yadda yadda. The only shift he could get her was 6am-11am. She gets maybe two or three people to checkout or in at this time. They are almost certainly up bright and early to travel back to their countries.

So naturally, one can only picture her surprise when a dirt-covered girl in bright-fucking-orange is smiling at her from the main entrance.

After rapidly blinking, Unmei scoots her chair up to the counter.

“Can I help you?” The girl gives her an open-mouthed smile, exhaling and says, “ Yeah! I wanted to stay here for a bit- probably like two weeks?”

She doesn’t quite know what to make of the blonde, but she knows the rules.

“Rooms are only available for seven consecutive days. So, if you want to stay longer, you’ll have to skip a day and comeback.” The girl seemed to make a face at this, one that would resemble a cartoon character.

She reaches up to smooth her wispy hair, pausing when she feels a leaf tangled in it and says, “ Well ok, that’ll work I guess.” Unmei tells her the cost and the other digs deep in her bag, pulling out a small scroll. She makes a few funny hand signs and the exact amount appears on the desk, coins rolling onto the floor.  
Unmei stills. ‘A ninja, then,’ she thinks and watches her bend down to pick up the fallen coins. Unmei is startled by the bump she feels on the desk and the swear she hears.

The ninja comes back up, one hand holding the change and the other on the the back of her head. “Ahhh, that hurt, haha.”

After taking her money, Unmei asks for a name. “Naruto Uzumaki,” replies the other. ‘So masculine,’ she thinks, but feel that no other name suits her. Naruto isn’t leaving though, and looks like she is politely waiting for her room ke-“ Check in time isn’t until 11am.” She watches Naruto glance at the clock behind her with furrowed brows.

Unmei cuts the girl a break.  
-x-  
When Naruto opens the door to her room, she sees that the girl at the desk gave her a room that is probably a bit more than she paid for.

She is careful not to touch anything before has a much needed shower. The bathroom is nice and spacious, so when she steps out of the shower, she takes time to really look at herself.

Naruto feels the war has made her appearance more…distinct?

She doesn’t quite know what word to use.

Her prominent feature she thinks, is her whisker marks on cheeks that have gone from doughy to revealing bone structure she had long since given up on spotting. Her short, boyish cut hair is dripping on the sink.

Her eyes move lower.

Now, Naruto’s never been well-endowed in the breast department—they’re not teeny but they’re not big. She is more hippy, with most of her weight on her thighs. It hardly bothers her anymore, as most of it is muscle. Honestly, now that she’s seen her mother and how beautiful she was, Naruto isn’t hung up on her figure anymore.

She towels her hair dry, while sitting in front of various scrolls strewn out on the floor. After summoning some pajamas, she sets aside her scrolls that contain other clothes and toiletries. Naruto is in need of a long, undisturbed nap. She flops herself on the bed, soft pillows sinking in under the weight of her head. She’ll wake up in a few hours and draw out her plan. Naruto feels just how exhausted she is, limbs heavy and mind tired. She might just sleep the whole day and night. The bed is so comfortable and big, her toes nowhere near the edge. Her room is so quiet, she can almost hear her thoughts- slow and soothing.

There is a voice, on the very edge and it isn’t her own. It’s far away, coming closer. Deep and rich- she can tell now and can almost make out the words.

“-mommenahhto.”

Naruto isn’t dreaming.

“-mon me, Naruto.”

That’s-

“Kit, summon me.”

She sharply exhales, eyes flying open. Naruto rolls onto the floor, crawling over to her bag and pulls out a small scroll. It is deep red and orange, with a beautiful black seal that binds it. Coming back to her bed and sitting cross-legged, she unrolls it, and presses down with her hand. Her eyes close and she whispers,” I summon you.”

Her bed dips down in front of her and she opens her eyes to see Kurama.

“ You’re so cute pocket-sized, Kuwamaa!” This form is, essentially, more convenient for the Nine-tails to travel and fit inside enclosures. The down side is that Kurama is in the form of a common fennec fox. His fur is still a deep orange, but he looks as threatening as a kitten.

Naruto lays back, smiling while reaching a foot forward to poke the fox. “ Che, stop that, silly girl.” Kurama stretches and looks around the room, showing blatant disregard by climbing on her outstretched legs to jump off the bed.

“Hey!” Naruto blurts as tiny paws stab her shins. “Soo,” she says, turning on her side, “how are Bee and Gyuki?”

“Fine.” Kurama gets straight to the point. “More importantly,what are you doing?”

Naruto groans, unlady-like. “Oh, don’t start! You know already. Even when you’re somewhere else, we still have a mental link.”

“You know I don’t like that bloody Uchiha whelp. He’s brought only trouble for you.” Kurama has always hated Uchihas and Naruto can hardly blame him. But this grudge against Sasuke has got to stop.

“No matter what you say, I’m still going through with this. “ Kurama says nothing.

“I’ll be fine.”

Kurama’s ear flicks towards a noise only he can hear and pads over to her. “Then I will ‘bitch and moan’ when you’re asking me to heal you.”  
Naruto rolls her eyes. “Oh what the fuck ever. Get up here so I can pet you.”

The fox hesitates before jumping up and fixes her with a look. Naruto pays no attention before poking his wet nose and using the back of her hand to smooth his fur.  
“Sooo, you should totally nap with me, before I formulate my plan.” Kurama lays down with his back to her and mumbles, “One would think you would’ve done that before you left.”

Naruto happily ignores this and gets comfortable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Understand that the rating will go up. I just don't know how soon that'll be, which is why I've left unrated for now. Also formatting. I'm so sorry. I will get the hang of it eventually.


	3. Tea and Hostility

Naruto wakes up far later than she intended.

Kurama leaves her then, only after fixing her with a disapproving look. As Naruto pulls oversized clothes over her head, and down onto her, she mulls over what needs to be done tonight. 

She plans to hit up a few restaurants, where those who have excessive amounts of money like to talk over excessive amounts of booze.

When Naruto casts her henge, her stomach and thighs swell, filling out the previously loose clothing. When she steps out of the hotel, she has the appearance of a greying red-haired man. 

Labored with a stocky build, she ambles down the street.

As she begins to breach the heart of the area, Naruto learns Kyujitsu is very different from her home. Previous exhaustion only allowed her to catch tired glimpses before she arrived at the hotel. With every open doorway, music can be heard. Strong and demanding beats melt into sweet and smooth melodies with every entrance she walks by. Hanging on every building are fairy lights, which twinkle as they sway in the humid night air.

On the streets, people almost float by, content chatter brushing past her ears. 

It is crowded, but pleasantly so. 

Her own simple outfit is lost in a sea of bright colors and shiny sequins. Older women walk by, waists tied with oversized bows that stream behind them in long tendrils, hair done in extravagant styles, and dramatic makeup. Men have their own masculine twists on things, a few of them favor wearing half-faced masks and patterned suits.

Naruto finds herself enchanted.

Unfortunately, she has to keep her attention on her mission. 

She comes across an eatery named Furui Dansei. When she walks in, the music goes from upbeat to subtle and smooth—easy to ignore. Inside there is an abundance of older men and younger women flitting around in skimpy outfits to write down orders.

Naruto frowns at this. She’s seen restaurants like these, women using their appearance to please old codgers to get better tips. 

As she waits at the front desk to be seats, she takes a moment to listen. Conversations range from hushed, terse whispers to long-winded drunken rambles.

Naruto learned from Ero-sennin that when people get drunk, they become honest.

In a booth to her left, there are two moderately drunk men discussing forms of delivery. It is only significant to her because they are both dressed in traditional robes. By contrast, most here are wearing casual attire.

“Sir?”

Naruto snaps her head back to a busty woman standing in front of her.

“Aha, there you are,” Naruto inwardly cringes at her voice. It sounds of someone that is constantly out of breath.

“I’m very in the mood for-“ Oh God, Naruto, she thinks,” whatever it is-“ just shut up, “ you offer…in this establishment.”

The women just blinks at her and then says,” Is there anywhere you’d like to sit?”

“Uh, yes, probably over there.” She points to the booth by the men in robes.

As she slides into her seat (with added difficulty from the henge’s round belly), the men before her are now leaned forward into each other. Naruto orders some chai tea and pretends to read the menu.

“It’s so cliché though,” the blue haired one mumbles and nibbles on his straw.

“I know it is,” reponds the other and lets out a great belch, “ they get their shit done though. So, it can be hawks, frogs, mosquitoes, whatever. As long as they are quiet and effective.”

Blue flags down a waitress and shakes his ice-filled glass at her. “ Another one,” he grunts and turns back to his friend. “I’m pretty sure his clan wouldn’t want their last brat to doing this. It’s whatever, though. Waste of them eyes.”

Naruto is thankful for the hot tea warming her quivering insides. She’s going to have to ask them. How the hell do you request for your dirty work to get done?

Quickly, before they change the subject, she leans forward over her booth table, closest to the back of the blue-haired man’s head. “Excuse me, “ she croaks out and in a louder voice, “ I can’t help but to overhear your conversation.” The one closest to her twists around, propping up a forearm on the booth top. “ And what the hell of it?”  
He’s already defensive. This isn’t good.

“I’m quite new to this method of business transacting. But I’ve come here for that very reason. Forgive me if I’m a little ignorant, how do you go about making a request?” She can get a better look at the two now. The one with curly brown hair has a jagged scar running down his neck. They both have the look of suspicion, however.

“Just who exactly is going to be the victim of this request?” They’re trying to see if she’s hiring a hit on their countries.

“No one,” she rasps. “ I just need to be transported somewhere. I suppose I have a few things that might be worth getting stolen.” 

They both give her a dead-eyed stare. Eventually, the scarred one mumbles, “You fat bastards and your jewelry. Hawks. Team Taka? Duh, they intercept hawks going in and out of Kyujitsu. Don’t know how they do it without anyone noticing. That’s all I’ll say.”

Naruto grins at them and responds, “ That’s all you need to. You both have a good night.”

It’s just so dumb! Those guys were right, it’s cliché as hell! They must really   
be doing their job if people are so quick to talk about it, she thinks as she walks back to her hotel and, fuck, she’s forgotten to ask where the hawk post is.

-x-

Naruto thinks if this is how they normally treat clients, she’s got to give those shady priests more credit for being patient.

It’s been three days and she hasn’t heard a word. Maybe her request’s too tedious? No. Knowing Sasuke, it’s not dangerous enough. If something doesn’t test his skills, then it’s not enough of an incentive. She wonders if his ‘team mates’ have a helping hand on choosing what missions to go on. As for that, she can’t say much as she’s never met the poor fucks.

One thing she did think to do was to set a specific date on when and where to meet. She’s stayed in her hotel for the last three days, only leaving momentarily to get food, hoping she wouldn’t miss any signal from them. Naruto even tried calling Sakura once. The conversation had gone like this:

“Hello?”

“Hey-“

“Naruto—you’re ok?”

“Yeah? Listen, I-“

“Ok! I’ve got to go! We’ve got a stat C-sec, bye!”

“Sak-“ There was only static on the other side.

Naruto cast her henge and made sure she knew what to say before heading out. It was close to 6 pm by the time she got on the main road to the restaurant she planned to meet them at. The walk there was laborious. Today had been particularly hot, so the humidity hadn’t quite worn off in the evening like usual. This meant with her henge’s weight, her large thighs would painfully rub together and sweat built up around her neck and under her belly. 

“God fucking dammit,” she curses under her breath.

When she finally makes it there, her table is already set up and a bow legged waiter leads her to the private room. Naruto’s so glad she only invited them for tea. She is entirely too cheap for this menu.

She looks up at the clock. Fifteen after. In the note she said to meet up at this time. From what she remembers, Sasuke’s always been punctual. There could be all kinds of things that could’ve gone wrong. They might still be on a mission. Maybe they hadn’t bothered reading it. Perhaps he could care less. Could someone else have read it instead?

There’s a knot at her throat now. Heat creeps into her plump cheeks. For fuck’s sake. Not now. Of all times. Her hands are shaking and she’s starting to bite the insides of her cheeks.

Naruto settles herself into a kneeling position. Why the hell did people sit like this? Ten minutes in and she’s already got pins and needles in her feet. Her mind’s all over the place. She eventually settles on the fact that they’re not coming. She cranes her neck back around towards the clock on the wall.

This wouldn’t be the first time.

Naruto’s no stranger to failed attempts. 

Back when Sakura would still come along, she remembers leading her out into Tea country. The weather had only been blustery at first and then clouds rolled in and it started to sleet. Sakura had gotten so sick. Their clothes were soaked through, cold fabric clinging to their skin. Painful pricks of falling ice had stung their faces. By the time Naruto had asked her if she wanted to rest, Sakura’s temperature had peaked to 102. Sakura hadn’t said a word to her when they turned back.  
That was the last time she asked Sakura to join her.

 

Naruto snaps out of her daze quick enough to catch the door sliding open. 

The same man from earlier pokes his head in. “ Sir, your other guests are here.” Naruto nods. 

This in itself is a challenge. When did she become so stiff? Her chubby fists are clenched so tight in her lap, that the fingernails will surely leave lasting indents. She has a hard time getting up and while she’s using her knees to come to full height, 4 pairs of feet come to stand before her. 

Naruto remembers to breath and then immediately forgets.

The first one she sees, surprisingly, is not Sasuke. He’s got blue hair that shines white when he moves, even in the dim lighting. With raised eyebrows and hooded eyes, he’s got a look of disinterest. When he catches her looking, his slow grin reveals, what seems to be, pointed teeth. She can’t verify this as her eyes quickly flit to the left.

There’s a girl with a shock of red hair and a face that clearly screams ‘standoffish’. There’s another guy behind them who is bent over a bit in the door frame. His massive body overshadows his blank face. Of course Sasuke’s got to be in the front- he’s got to be the leader. Narcissistic bas-

And he’s chopped off all his hair.

She’s never seen it this short. There’s no hair touching his face. No dramatic grown-out side fringe. No wild hair sticking out of the back. Naruto wonders why this is so substantial.

He’s got his arms folded and still has the small talk-repelling look about him. Only this time, it’s flavored with apprehension. 

They stand together like a unit, a pack of wolves, and Naruto gets the feeling if singled out, each would look considerably less formidable. Except for Sasuke. In recent years, he’s looked more lethal each time they’ve encountered each other. At least now he’s dressed in more casual attire. Despite this, she has no doubt that he’s carrying small weapons and his favorite wire under his relaxed pants. 

“Come in! Haha!” She ushers them in with a warm (fake) smile and open arms. For a moment it sort of looks like Sasuke is seriously considering turning around.

He decides against it and moves to take his seat, the others following. 

When they get settled, Naruto says, “Drinks are on me, by the way,” and ends with another friendly smile. 

The blue haired one scoffs and mumbles out, “ Just drinks? For a rich guy, that’s sure cheap as hell.” 

She doesn’t know what to say to that, so she says nothing.

Naruto quite feels like she’s not there. Watching Sasuke sit and browse through the menu is a bit too surreal for her. 

She is used to meeting him in such different settings. Everything about the present is a contrast. 

The smell of blood and sweat is replaced with the steam from her tea and the waiter’s lingering cologne.

Despite this, she patiently waits for them to place their orders.

It’s back to business, after that. Naruto opens her mouth to start-

“ I understand that you’re looking for escorts,” Sasuke says when their waiter returns with tea.

“Ye-“ Naruto clears her throat. “Yes.”

“Right. What exactly are you wanting to transport?”

She swallows and begins to tell him (them, though the others don’t seem too interested) of how her imaginary village is suffering from a disease of the skin. “ There are only a few ways to cure it,” she explains, “ One of the most fool proof are these jewels that are ground into dust and bathed in. Problem is, they are very slow to form and overused. Every few decades, people have to go without.”

Naruto honestly feels good about her story. She’s never been one to lie well on a regular basis, but she can tell a good fib when she puts her mind to it. 

She gives herself a mental slow clap that dies out when she gets a good look at the others.

There is a pause that stretches out a bit too long before Sasuke retorts, “ So why do you need a full team to come back with you?” Naruto blinks.

“I’m pretty sure any bandits looking for a large sum would be interested in an ambush.”

“No one traveled with you here?” She feels a sudden spike of alarm.

“Yes, but I-“

“Then where are they?”

“They are at the hotel at the mome-“

“So why do you need extra escorts?”

He’s speaking to her in that snotty tone she hasn’t missed. It’s very hard for to refrain from picking up his cup and splashing its hot contents in his face. The two sets of smirks behind him aren’t helping, either.

“ I wasn’t aware there had to be a specific reason why I chose you. One would think you’d be more respectful of a possible client. I’m not just stopping in Kyujitsu to have an impromptu vacation, young man. I acquired the jewels here.”

Sasuke goes silent. She supposes he’s weighing the pros and cons. He picks up his cup and takes a long, slow sip. 

Behind him, the mountain of a man does the same, while the girl is picking her nails. The bluenette starts up again.

“ Not taking time to enjoy yourself? ‘S real thoughtful of you.”

Naruto doesn’t take offense to that. She’s guessing Blue’s the mouth of the team.

She shrugs, “ No all of us are the same, you kno-“

Sasuke’s eyes snap back to her and she knows she’s made a huge misstep.

The one thing she’s never given much thought about—her speech mannerisms. Adding ‘you know’ to most of her sentences has been a habit that she’s never quite grown out of. She also cut herself off, which spurs the other to raise his eyebrow and glance at Sasuke.

Blue nudges Sasuke but he doesn’t respond.

He’s staring at her, nostrils flared and she realizes just how livid he is. Naruto hadn’t expected her tactics to be fabulous, but she also hadn’t thought she’d fuck it up this bad. 

“I need the rest of you to leave,” Sasuke growls. 

The others are visibly alarmed now, but they do as they’re told and shuffle out.

As the door slides shut, the weight of silence is heavy on her chest.

He just sits there, jaw tight and staring hard.

He looks as if he’s about to yell. Naruto tries to mirror him. She;s wondering how to move if he lunges forward. Surely he wouldn’t do it here- blow his cover.

And then he speaks, “ So like you. Can’t even complete a simple undercover mission. Can’t say I’m surpr-“

That is IT.

“The fuck do you know about me?! When’s the last time we had a real conversation? One where you weren’t distracted about going blind? How is that, by the way? Have you got your prescription yet?”

Naruto knows that’s a low blow but she can’t bring herself to give a damn  
.  
His expression goes from icy to acidic.

“ Are you honestly expecting me to fuck off back to Konoha with you? Have some sense of reality.”

Wrong again, Naruto thinks. After the war, she’s come to understand that Sasuke would never be able to come back. The Uchiha name has the most terrible rep in the shinobi world. 

“I just wanted to see how the hell you were doing. I see you still talk in the way that makes me want to rip your nose off. I see you have loyal pets now and maybe I should have gone with my original plan. Find you and beat the shit out of you.”

Sasuke’s face now sags into disgust.

“ I see that you’re still a waste of my time. I’m not surprised.” He rises to his feet, light placement leaving his shadow to loom over her.

“As it’s always been that way.”

It stings her in a way she’s embarrassed to feel.   
Naruto’s had many dream conversations with him. He’s always said the same things and she’s always screamed and screamed until she woke.

Sasuke now stares and she can’t quite tell what his expression is, as it is obscured because of the shadow. 

He moves to leave and she says nothing.

Naruto is left with 5 cups of half empty tea and a bill.

**Author's Note:**

> Please excuse my terrible formatting!


End file.
